Katherine Louse Unruh, popularly known as Katy Unruh, is a personal trainer, life coach and an international bikini athlete who has been in the fitness industry for the past 25 years now. She is a self-made woman, who left home at the age of 17 and worked two jobs to support herself financially. However, her passion for health and fitness led her to earn her fitness and nutrition degree from Montreal. Apart from that, she took online certification courses in dietetics as well.
There is more to Katy than meets the eye. She not only competed in the figure bodybuilding division for 24 shows, but also earned three different Pro cards from different federations. In the remaining competitions, she switched to bikini, and recently became an IFBB Bikini Pro. So, it won’t be wrong to say that she has made a name for herself in the industry through her relentless determination and passion. What sets her apart from others is the fact that she continues to strive for excellence, whether it is body, mind, and spirit or the business world.
Katy Unruh’s motivation to join the fitness industry stemmed from her battle with anorexia, childhood traumas as well as living with lupus, an autoimmune disease. In her life with lupus, she hardly used medications hence her efforts were concentrated towards staying fit and healthy. This made her to design and produce her own line of protein bars which she named Katy’s Kookies. These bars are natural, healthy, low in sugar and high in fiber with a unique taste. They are not only delicious but also a great meal replacement for all those who aspire to have a healthy body and mind. She started working on her idea because she wanted to eat clean and consume nutritious foods to stay in optimal health and now, she hopes the same for others.
This is not all! She also provides all forms of training services – from healthy lifestyle to military preparations. She has worked with special ops and have trained some professional athletes in MMA. “I don’t like to brag but I have helped a pro golfer with chronic neck and back pain by training him and he is still winning,” shared Katy. “I have also worked with a film photographer with stage 4 cancer, his tumor was advanced and was desperately looking for expert guidance. However, we worked on his nutrition and with my ideas, he is cancer free now. I have helped many people lose weight and discover their inner potential. Some of them are even competing in various competitions,” she added.
Taking a look at her successful career, it’s hard to imagine that she had a traumatic childhood. Her parents and brother never accepted her as a part of the family and always shunned her. She started raising her younger brother when she was 6 years old but they couldn’t develop a bond. It was due to the constant negativity around her that she left home at a young age and started living on her own. Whatever she is today, she owes it to her positive mindset and finding her path independently.
It isn’t common for people with a disturbing family life to make it big when they grow up. Most of them ruin their lives, living in the shadows of their upsetting past. However, Katy emerged from all the things that could have taken her down and instead used it as her strength to do better and become successful.
Her greatest strengths are her work ethic, tenacity and her stubbornness to achieve her goals. Success is not an exclusive idea reserved for a number of people but it’s for everyone with the right attitude and mindset. “It’s a decision and then a process. Embracing the journey is the most bountiful gift, even at the finish line,” stressed Katy. So, you should not be afraid of the journey. Once you have set your mind towards a goal, keep moving and embrace all the hardships or challenges that come your way. At the end, you will smile at the challenges and cherish your victory even more.
Katy Unruh is indeed an inspiration for all those who have had a dark and traumatic past. She not only emerged out of it but now she’s also helping others to focus on getting in shape with her specialized nutrition meals and training services. She has an unorthodox approach towards empowering her clients with sheer commitment and dedication so that they can achieve their fitness goals and feel happy and confident about their bodies. After all, a healthy and confident body paves way for a healthy and positive mind. As she puts it, “a happy body leads to a happy mind and a happy heart.”